Kathi Vidal
Kathi Vidal | |
|---|---|
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| Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property | |
| Assumed office April 19, 2022 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Andrei Iancu |
| Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office | |
| Assumed office April 13, 2022 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Andrei Iancu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Katherine Antoinette Kelly 1968 (age 55–56) Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. |
| Education | Binghamton University (BS) Syracuse University (MS) University of Pennsylvania (JD) |
Katherine "Kathi" Kelly Vidal (born 1968)[1] is an American intellectual property lawyer and former engineer who serves as Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Education
[edit]Vidal earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Binghamton University, a Master of Science in electrical engineering from Syracuse University, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.[2][3]
Career
[edit]Vidal began her career as an engineer for General Electric and Lockheed Martin, working in the areas of artificial intelligence, software engineering, and circuitry.[4] From 1996 to 1997, she served as a law clerk for Judge Alvin Anthony Schall of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. From 1997 to 2017, she was a litigator at Fish & Richardson. From April 2017 to April 2022, she was the Silicon Valley managing partner and patent litigator at Winston & Strawn.[5][6]
USPTO
[edit]On October 26, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Vidal to be the next Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).[7] On December 1, 2021, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[8] On January 13, 2022, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 17–5 vote.[9] On April 5, 2022, the United States Senate confirmed Vidal by voice vote.[10] She was sworn in as the director of the USPTO on April 13, 2022,[11] and was sworn in as under secretary on April 19, 2022.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- ^ "Kathi Vidal Floated as Possible USPTO Director Nominee". IPWatchdog.com | Patents & Patent Law. 2021-10-04. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ^ Brittain, Blake (26 October 2021). "Biden nominates Winston & Strawn partner Kathi Vidal to lead USPTO". Reuters.
- ^ "Kathi Vidal Nominated for USPTO Director - Intellectual Property - United States".
- ^ "Winston's Kathi Vidal Is Biden's Pick to Lead Patent Office". news.bloomberglaw.com. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ^ "Kathi Vidal - Patent Litigator". Winston & Strawn. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ^ "President Biden Announces Key Nominations". The White House. 26 October 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
- ^ "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. December 1, 2021.
- ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – January 13, 2022" (PDF). US Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ "PN1326 — Katherine Vidal — Department of Commerce 117th Congress (2021-2022)". US Congress. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
- ^ "USPTO Welcomes New Director Kathi Vidal". United States Patent and Trademark Office. 2022-04-13. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
- ^ Raimondo, Gina [@SecRaimondo] (April 19, 2022). "Kathi Vidal's leadership & expertise will be instrumental in executing @USPTO's mission to protect & empower U.S. entrepreneurs" (Tweet). Retrieved 2022-04-25 – via Twitter.
- 1968 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American lawyers
- 20th-century American women lawyers
- 21st-century American lawyers
- 21st-century American women lawyers
- Biden administration personnel
- Binghamton University alumni
- California lawyers
- Intellectual property lawyers
- Syracuse University alumni
- Under Secretaries of Commerce for Intellectual Property
- University of Pennsylvania Law School alumni